


To a Hundred Thousand Years Together

by Infinitely_Zero



Series: Of Babies, Curses, Assasins and Closure [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Bonding, Boys Kissing, Crossdressing, Dying Will Flames (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), F/M, Flame Harmonization (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Flame Lore (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Flirting, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Multi, Out of Character, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Pranks, Reincarnation, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:42:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23354137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infinitely_Zero/pseuds/Infinitely_Zero
Summary: Parallel world of the main fic, Of Babies, Curses, Assassins and Closure.Or in which the Arcobaleno are in a polyamorous relationship.
Relationships: Arcobaleno - Relationship, Original Shěn Qīngqiū/Arcobaleno (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Original Shěn Qīngqiū/Yuè Qīngyuán, Yuè Qīngyuán/Arcobaleno (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!)
Series: Of Babies, Curses, Assasins and Closure [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679743
Comments: 8
Kudos: 105





	To a Hundred Thousand Years Together

**Author's Note:**

> Yes this is a fic of another fic. I would like to call it an extra and would have posted it on the main fic but it was getting really, really long. Also, it would mess with the tags on that work so I directly put it here, sorry for the inconvenience!

Renato asks one day, "Say, what do you guys think of polyamory relationships?"

Shen Qingqiu does not think anything of it. Weren't harems basically one-sided open relationships? So he does not respond and focuses on the custard tart Luce had made for dessert that night, because even if she were a bad person and Sky, she was definitely good for making sweets. Colonello talks up, with a slightly wary look, "Why are you asking this?"

"Because I can't take it anymore and want to push one of you down--of course not!" Renato looks at Colonello as if he were one of the biggest idiots he had ever seen and Colonello looks down, rubbing his nose. "Why I asked, honey, is because I want to enter an polyamory relationship with all of you, except Luce, sorry."

Luce giggled. "I understand."

...a relationship with everyone? Shen Qingqiu scrunches his face slightly before trying to refocus on the rest of the tart in front of him. He didn't have any experience with such a thing and... the fact was, it was daunting to him.

Verde had long put the notes he brought down and was staring at Renato as if he had grown another head. Renato returned the stare, looking entirely unabashed and as if he had no shame at all, which was very debatable if one thought about it and Shen Qingqiu was thinking of how to present the idea of 'does circumstances of birth make one naturally shameless' to Verde for him to research. Shen Jiu would like to know the results too, after all. "How and why did you get to that point?"

"Simple, I like all of you on a physical level, we all get along enough to not want to actually kill one another and we will be a group for a year and a half therefore we have to trust one another... anything else?" When put in that way, it did make sense, especially because they were in the mafia... 

Devi decides to join in on the conversation, "Trust is a very hard thing to find in the mafia, even and especially with a group like this."

"We don't even know some people's actual names..." Cherep chirps in before realizing that he had nowhere to stand on with what he was saying. "But like, I want to have a relationship that lasts more than just a year or two! Not just a forgettable fling, so..."

Colonello is silent, looking at Devi and probably going to take her side no matter what she says.

Yunque was looking at Shen Qingqiu who had quietly stolen the last tart slice and he realizes that the Storm would take his side. Verde and Devi were looking at him too now and he looks up at Renato, "How sure are you that you want this and this is not a whim?"

Renato, despite being weaker than Shen, was recognized as the unofficial leader of their group. Not Luce. 

Shen himself could care less whoever got the leader position, his own position has always been second-in-command and he was comfortable with it. Renato looks him in the eye, or as close as he could get while looking through the hood and illusion, and tells him with the most serious tone of voice he had heard from the Sun. "I am a thousand percent sure."

Qingqiu huffs and asks after a moment, "Does everyone agree?"

Verde is conspicuously quiet and mumbles out a small 'yes', hiding his face with the notes he brought. Devi closes her eyes and thinks for a moment before decisively telling them, "Let's give this a try."

Yunque, "I'll agree as long as you do." Meaning that the moment Shen Qingqiu is done with it, he would also leave but how long such a thing will last is debatable. Cherep is quiet for once before shrugging and replying with a "YOLO" which Shen Qingqiu had to find the meaning of after this, it seems that he has been slacking in his ability to understand codes. Colonello too, leans towards Devi and says, "I'll agree with whatever Lal thinks."

Renato gives them all a triumphant grin. Shen Qingqiu bursts his bubble with amusement by telling him, "Now we should set some boundaries. What is acceptable to some people may not be acceptable to others, I suggest the use of safe words or signals and codes."

Devi hums, tapping her fingers on the table several times. "It is true. This is embarrassing though..."

"I'm fine with hugs!" Cherep exclaims, "As for k-kisses... I've never..."

"Oh, that's just precious." Renato coos, looking at the table and realizing, "Wait--who ate all the tart?"

The Shen Qingqiu who was now chewing the last of the tart: ...you guys didn't look at it at all! How would I have known that you wanted it?!

Yunque coughs awkwardly. "I'm fine with hugs and k...kisses as long as they don't go overboard. Sex is... I've never did it before."

Why was everyone tripping over the word "kiss"? Was there something so special about it? Shen Qingqiu wondered. He knew that it was technically a romantic gesture but has never wanted to do it to anyone after seeing the sisters in the brothels he slept in being forced to do such an act. How does smashing two pair of lips together seem romantic at all??

"As long as you don't interrupt my research, I'm fine with almost everything." Verde talks too robotically and looking at the tomato that was his face behind the notes, Shen thinks it's a defense mechanism.

"Physical contact beyond a side-hug that I do not initiate or consent to is not fine." Shen Qingqiu tells them. 

They look at him but don't question it. Good.

Good thing Xiu Ya was with Xuan Su and Oodako--the octopus Cherep had gotten during their time in the beach. Luce had left the dining room at some point. 

Devi clears her throat and tells them in a somewhat shaky voice. "I am fine with affectionate acts as long as it is not out in the open."

Colonello purses his lips, looking somewhat guilty. "I'm fine with hugs but kisses and beyond that..." he then glances at Devi and they all get the point. The man getting involved with them was already a huge step considering his infatuation with Devi and the fact that he was the most unfamiliar with them.

Renato groans out loud. "Damnit, why am I the only one fine with sex here?!"

They all sink into an awkward silence. 

Shen Qingqiu flicks his fan close and slowly pulls his hood down, Yunque staring. "If we are doing this, then I want all of you to call me my name, Vermont."

This was a gesture of trust, Devi realizes this was him answering her earlier doubt and smiles, saying, "My name is Sharmila."

"...call me Qingfeng or just Feng, whatever you want." Yue the idiot laughs softly. Cherep flushes and shifts before saying in the usual loud voice he uses, "My name is Maksim!"

A huff, Verde's voice comes from behind his notes. "My name is Marzio."

Shen Qingqiu looks around him and smiles.

(It took a long time to fully iron out how it would work.)

\--+=+0+=+--

The screaming duo that were Maksim and Colonello were really annoying. Shen Jiu was just about to fall asleep.

The ghost that was a woman dressed in white and long hair, was she really that scary? In Shen Qingqiu's humble opinion, the demons he fought with in his past life were far scarier than such a low-level ghost. Renato seemed ticked off because he tapped Shen's shoulder and pointed at his head then both their mouths. Oh, so that's what he wanted?

The mental link was established in the blink of an eye and Qingqiu asks, "What do you want?"

"Let me borrow your hair for a moment." He says without blinking once. The movie was still rolling and was presumably a third in and he could see that Marzio had fallen asleep on Qingfeng's shoulder. 

Sharmila too, seemed very annoyed. Shen Qingqiu looked at their positions and felt that it was rather inconvenient, Renato was sitting in the middle of the sofa and he was seated on the floor between Maksim's, who was to Renato's right, legs--thankfully yet to be kicked. Yet. Qingfeng and Marzio were to Shen's left and Qingfeng seemed like he was about to fall asleep too. Colonello was on Renato's other side and Sharmila was sitting on the armrest. He replied to Renato, "Sure, but what do you want to do?"

"Scare the two screamers even more of course!"

Of course. 

"How will you manage that?" Shen Qingqiu asks. Renato answers without stopping to think, "Sneak up behind the sofa, then lend me your hair."

...his hair was not that long was it? Whatever.

He stood up and answered Sharmila's quiet inquiry with a bathroom break. He walked, or floated to the door and opened it, sending an illusion in and turning himself invisible. Shen Qingqiu floated back to behind the sofa and gathers the purple hair he had let grow for a while now, letting Renato handle it.

The Sun parted it in two, trying his best to do it as perfectly as he could before slowly lowering the two big parts of hair onto the exposed skin between Colonello and Maksim's hair and their shirts, brushing it back and forth. Shen Qingqiu had to lean forward more and more until he was practically pressing onto Renato. The two expectedly tensed up before jumping up and screaming in synchronization, "GHOST--"

Renato burst out laughing but reached back and pulled Shen Qingqiu forward. The Fog had not been expecting it and crashed headfirst into the hitman's lap, twisting so he doesn't land on his face.

His position was even more awkward now, with half of his body slanted onto Renato's lap and his legs hanging uselessly from the sofa's backrest. The Sun chuckled and leaned forward, pinning Shen Jiu in place with a hand while asking, a show of respect, "Can I kiss you?"

Slowly, very slowly, he nods. Renato tuts and says, "Use words."

Shen Qingqiu flushes even more and his mouth opens uselessly, voice not wanting to come out. He trembles inexplicably before softly whispering, "Y...es..."

Renato leans in and softly presses their lips together.

Qingqiu's trembling hands reach up and hold onto Renato. It was dizzying, he was sure that his heart was going to burst out of his chest with how fast it was going. A hand was cradling his head, he belatedly realizes and they both shift, Shen Jiu gasping and still holding on for dear life. He doesn't have enough time to collect his thoughts when Renato was back at it again and his position was shifted to sit on the Sun's lap. 

...there was something poking him. Shen Jiu makes a sound in alarm but loses his thoughts again as the kiss becomes firmer and a tongue is sweeping into him. Small sounds, escaping and making him flush even more. It was mortifying, but Renato just presses harder every time one escapes.

Some time Shen Jiu isn't sure of later, he is finally released and was left gasping and trembling on Renato's lap, holding onto his shoulders. The Sun pressed a harsh sigh onto his hand and tentatively hugged Shen Qingqiu closer, rubbing his back and trying to get the Fog to relax again. Renato looked at the still asleep Marzio and reluctant to move him Qingfeng, then at Colonello and Maksim who were similarly embarrassed. Sharmila rose an eyebrow at him but said nothing else, refocusing her attention on the movie.

"You OK there?" Renato asks a moment after he stops trembling. Shen Jiu did not feel the urge to move from where he was seated, so he simply stayed there and laid his head on Renato's chest, hands encircling his waist. "I'm good..."

Hearing the slightly hoarse voice, Renato smiled and let Shen Qingqiu lay there. The movie was only halfway done.

(Qingqiu could have, if he really wanted to, gotten out of it.)

"Your technique was really bad, by the way," the Sun tells him. Shen Qingqiu blinked, there were techniques involved with kissing? Why was this the first time he has heard of it? "...you need technique?"

"Of course!" Renato gave him an infuriating smirk and the unoccupied hand slowly ventured down... down... Shen let a mortified squeak out as the hand rested on his rear and even dared to squeeze it. Renato leaned down and kissed his bared neck, "If it weren't for my awesome technique then how could I kiss you into such a cute mess? Let me guess, that was your first kiss ever? I'll leave a mark to commemorate the occasion, is that fine?"

"Mark?" What mark? Renato had already gone along and sucked on the spot he had chosen, biting gently. Shen Jiu shivered, feeling that mouth lavish him with attention again. The Sun had stopped after seeing the mark he left and being satisfied with it, stealing a quick kiss from the Fog. "You can get angry with me later."

Jiu huffs but says nothing else.

Sharmila suddenly reaches over from where she is and picks Shen Jiu up as if he were a kitten of some sort. She gives Renato a smirk, "Don't be jealous, I want to hold someone too."

"Lal! Why not hold me?" Colonello immediately jumps at that. She looks over the other Rain and then looks over Shen Jiu. "Because holding someone smaller feels nicer."

...it was true that he was technically the shortest and smallest, but his presence (and the fact that he floated/levitated a bit from the ground) was usually enough to make up for that and make him seem bigger than others. It was the genes from his mother and the fact that the moment he turned twenty, Shen Jiu had finally formed his golden core. But still, to have it pointed out like that... Sharmila probably wanted to sate her maternal instincts or something like that, he did not understand women.

Colonello huffed and looked back at the screen, only to promptly scream and bury himself into Sharmila's side as the scene faded into a close-up of the ghost. 

It is a while later that Renato shifts again. "Did you want to say something, Ah Feng?"

"...no, it's nothing." Qingfeng responds and looks away. The hitman clearly does not want to leave it at that, asking again, "Could it be, you're jealous? Do you want me to kiss you too?"

"No," he said. "Not now."

"That's too bad."

(Sharmila huffs as she walks out of her room to get a glass of water, only to run into Renato and Qingfeng kissing very aggressively. It looked more like fighting to her. She sighs, men would always be men.)

\--+=+0+=+--

"This is an interesting development..." Bermuda responds. "I don't mind it. In fact, would you like me to give them the shovel talk to let them see what will happen if they bully my student?"

"Unneeded. It will frighten them too much." Shen Jiu frowned. "Maybe someday, but not now."

The mummified baby sighs. "Well, that's fine too. As long as they all get our approvals, you may only get married after that!"

"When did I say marriage?!" Shen Qingqiu yells. Marriage? Bermuda was kidding, surely! At this point of time, they still did not know what will happen in the future, not to mention the curse and everything...he did not want them to be cursed without knowing of what was happening to them. "Say, if I used the Vindice as evidence for what I'm going to tell them about the curse... they should have a better chance of believing me right?"

"Naturally. Don't underestimate the Vindice, Vermont."

"...I'm going to tell them."

"Good."

The door suddenly slams open and close, "Vermont! Let me hide in here!"

Maksim looks at the Bermuda who had fallen limp and was being held by Shen Jiu, question marks visibly almost floating over his head. "You...like to play with dolls?"

Shen Jiu grit his teeth and put 'the doll' on his bed before turning back to Maksim and opening the door that was being pounded enough to break. Goddamnit, how many times have they broken his damn door? He was not a Sky, why should he be the one who looked over the harmony of this relationship? Why wasn't someone else doing it, like Sharmila or Renato? 

Did they trust him that much?

...such trust was terrifying. Xiu Ya hissed, curled inside his hood and slithering out to see what was happening. Marzio stood outside the room with a murderous expression, "Where is he?"

Maksim squeaked and hid behind Shen Jiu whose eye twitched. "What happened this time?"

"He spilled tea all over my notes." Marzio answered back a little too smoothly. He glared at Maksim, as if he was looking at trash. "It was an accident I swear!"

He was going to have a headache. No, wait, he already had a headache and that was when Sharmila walked up to them and decided to not ask what was happening because it was pretty obvious, directly asking Shen Jiu, "Do you want to accompany me to a city? My make-up supplies are running out and we can get you your own."

He sighed. "Sure,"

(When Vermont and Sharmila were out of range, Maksim high-fived Marzio who talked into the communicator, "Phase one and two are complete, start with phase three?...immediately, sure.")

At some point of time during their trip, Shen realizes that he had not closed and locked his door. 

"Is there something wrong?" Sharmila asks, noticing his discomfort. She turns on the radio and the sounds of classical music filled the car. Shen Jiu thought about it and decided that it wouldn't be that bad. "Nothing, just hoping that the rest aren't going to prank us when we get back."

Sharmila seems to have thought of something because she smiled insincerely and replied, "They won't prank us."

...there was something wrong in that sentence. He couldn't figure out what it was.

In the end, Sharmila had dragged him all over the place and it was evening when they finally got to the actual thing they came here for. Shen Jiu didn't exactly want to reject everything... even if he was now dressed like Sharmila's girlfriend and she his boyfriend. It wasn't exactly wrong, after all. It seems that he still had a soft spot for women after all, because if it were anyone else then he would have cut all the nonsense. 

"It's raining..." Sharmila frowned, though there was a sense of schadenfreude in it. They were in the middle of civilians too, so he couldn't use his Flames and they could only run to the car. Suddenly, Sharmila was scooping him up in a princess carry and running and Shen Jiu could only feel mortified as his too-short skirt fluttered about, reaching down and trying to make it stay.

When the both of them were in the car, they were dripping wet. Shen Jiu felt a little pity for the outfit that had been ruined, looking around for the bag that held the clothes they had worn earlier... it was left behind wasn't it? At least that was the only bag...

Qingqiu shivered. "We should get back as soon as possible."

"Are you cold?" Sharmila asks instead, taking off the jacket she was wearing and putting it on Shen instead. It was also drenched and looked ridiculously oversized on him but still was warmer. He pulled it closer, feeling rather selfish. 

The rain just continuously poured down. "Can you drive up the mountain like this?"

A curse, "No."

"Don't we have an umbrella somewhere here?"

"It has also became a victim of Marzio," She retorts and Shen Jiu suddenly remembers that that had happened. Damn, did they have to climb the mountain in this weather? He could use his Night Flames but... oh f*ck it, since he had decided to trust these people then he might as well do it completely right? They were all at the top of their respective worlds and he had the Vindice behind him. "...close your eyes."

"Sharmila?" the Fog asks. "Trust me."

Sharmila closes her eyes and Vermont makes a portal under the car, dropping them down in front of the residence. "Please park somewhere."

The Rain raises an eyebrow but says nothing, doing as she was told and parking the car in front of their current residence. She seemed impressed but uninclined to say anything to others, good.

Immediately the both of them bolt to the door and inside the house where Renato looks over the both of them and slowly whistles.

"What happened to the both of you?!" Luce almost shouts. Immediately someone is running down the hall to the main room and Qingfeng is immediately all over Shen Jiu, picking the Fog up and bringing him to his own bathroom. 

...someone had messed with his room, he could tell this much from the few glances he got before being dumped into the bathtub by a now awkward-looking Qingfeng. The Storm scratches the back of his head, asking, "Do you want me to help or..."

"Get out."

Qingfeng is leaving the bathroom immediately. 

Shen Jiu finds just why this day was so off to him when he opens his closet and is blinded by the amount of clothes stuffed inside. His own usual clothes were nowhere to be found, only one of his usual cloaks remaining of them though that one was the smallest and kept purely for sentiments because it was the first one he used and Bermuda had gifted it to him. Picking out the most decent clothes (why and who the f*ck put lingerie in his closet?) which consisted of a sweater and a pair of tight black pants, as well as the aforementioned small cloak, Shen Qingqiu slams the door and makes his way to where the idiots were.

Renato whistled again when the Fog slams the door to the main room open. "Who the f*ck messed with my room?!"

They all stared at him and Shen Jiu realizes that this was a group effort. Renato shrugged, "Who cares who or why they did it, I did not know how hot your legs were before this."

Marzio coughed into his hand, "It is admittedly very interesting to see you dress differently than you usually do...":

Qingfeng was hiding a snicker behind his sleeve and sips on the cup of tea he had, Maksim and Colonello proved to be very similar in that they were fidgeting and blushing as they looked at Shen Jiu then somewhere else and back at Shen again. Sharmila and Renato was staring at him with an appreciative gaze and Qingqiu finds himself blushing too, backing away and booking it down the hall and back to his room. 

Goddamnit. 

\--+=+0+=+--

The thing with telling people things was that it was telling people things.

Shen Jiu had finally gotten his normal clothes back and everyone was still waiting for the revenge pranks. This time, he had asked they all talked in his room and set up several talismans and arrays so they aren't heard. Whether Checkerface would still know of this with all that or not, he did not know.

As he was finishing the last rune, the door opened and Qingfeng walks in. He looks around the room, recognizing what the array is and says quietly, "Xiao Jiu...?"

Shen Jiu pauses. Its been a long time since he's heard that name, but Shen answers nonetheless, "Don't call me that, Qi-ge."

"...this is serious?" He asks lamely, sitting beside Shen Qingqiu who was finished with the last of the ruhnes and was just waiting for the rest of them to appear before activating the array. Qingqiu scoffs, "If it wasn't serious then why do you think I put so many arrays and seals down?"

(Looking around, Yue Qingyuan realized that the settings of the arrays were similar if not outright the same as the one from their meeting room in Cang Qiong sect. He smiles, missing his shidi and shimei.)

The door opens again and Renato is there with a smirk, "Why did you call all of us in your room, Vermont? Did you want to finally do the deed?" He asks laughingly, knowing that it was most definitely not the case. Shen Qingqiu did not do things like that and the last time he invited someone into his room was when he couldn't sleep and had to ask for the presence of some of the women in the brothels he usually visited. Even then, he wouldn't dare ask for something he did not deserve.

It is when everyone is inside that he pours spiritual energy into the arrays, the runes and lines glowing for a moment and talismans burning, making a soundproof barrier around them. Maksim yelped as he shot up, looking at the floor in amazement. "What was that?!"

"That was an array, something that I will not be teaching anyone." Shen Qingqiu says as eyes are directed at him. 

Colonello asks, "What are we here for?...kora." the last part was added as an afterthought, only after he had remembered that he had lost a bet and had to add it to the end of his sentences for a whole three months. 

"I want to tell you all the truth." Shen Qingqiu starts. "But first, what do you know of the Arcobaleno?"

Renato and Qingfeng seems to have caught on to it. They both stop smiling and start thinking to themselves so Sharmila says, "I haven't been involved with the mafia for long, I only know that they are the Seven Strongest Babies according to Flames."

"I would want to experiment with one sometime. I heard that they were linked to the supernatural but..." Marzio, as a man of science, was hard pressed to accept the very existence of Dying Will Flames and would rarely use his own. He would probably take this the hardest... Maksim and Colonello stay silent, having no idea what they were talking about. "Then, let me clarify a bit for you what the Arcobaleno are. They are the Strongest Seven categorized by Flames and stuffed into a baby's body."

It was the simplest terms he could use. Qingfeng shifts, "In other words, a curse?"

"More importantly," Renato interrupts. "You're saying that we are going to become the next set of apparently cursed Arcobaleno and Luce who can see the future hasn't said a word about this?"

Shen Qingqiu nods. 

"Then, what proof do you have, other than the fact that we are the Seven Strongest, other than Skull, Marzio and Luce of course-" "HEY!" "-because this is a big jump."

"Will seeing the Vindice appease your worries?" Shen Jiu shoots back and those in the know immediately tense up. The Vindice was a legend in the mafia world and no one dared to use their name lightly, not even Renato the cocky bastard. "In fact, the Vindice are all ex-Arcobaleno who want to take revenge on the person who cursed them to become Arcobaleno."

Marzio suddenly interrupted. "Are the Vindice those guys with top hats, bandages and chains?"

When everyone stared at him in question, Marzio huffed and fixed his spectacles, saying, "At that time, I coincidentally saw you with one of them and thought you were an idiot for staying so close to something like that."

"Ah, you stalked me?" Shen Qingqiu asked lightly. "I did not stalk you! Who would want to stalk you?!" Marzio had, as expected, became a tomato and defended himself loudly. Truly what Renato had said back then, a "Tsundere". Renato is silent. It was expected, he and Maksim were the closest to Luce and were the most likely to not believe what was being said here. Colonello suddenly asked, "So basically we were chosen to be cursed? Why though?...kora."

"To become batteries, essentially." Shen Qingqiu responded easily. "Another thing the Arcobaleno are known for are the pacifiers around their necks. They suck your Flame out until there is nothing left for the balance of the world or something."

Renato suddenly snorts and throws an arm around Shen's shoulder and asks with a flirtatious wink, "Would you like to suck me until nothing is left? You'd look really cute trying to get it in too..."

...what was he talking about? 

Qingfeng, with a far too polite smile, slaps the arm away and switches places with Shen Qingqiu who was trying to understand what Renato was saying. Perhaps Bermuda or Xiu Ya would know? But Xiu Ya was laughing hysterically and slithering around a lot... Bermuda should know right? If not, he could always research it.

"Speaking of the Vindice," Renato huffs but changes topics. "That transportation ability of yours is very similar to theirs isn't it? Or is it the same?"

"Not answering that." Shen Qingqiu says a little too quickly. The Sun seems to have gotten the answer though.

Marzio abruptly asks, "What are we supposed to do then?"

"...I don't know," Qingqiu admits. "I just wanted all of you to know the truth... if you want to stay then you should leave before the last mission because it is always when that time's Il Prescelti Sette are cursed."

Sharmila closes her eyes for a bit before saying, "I think that's what I'm going to do." to which Colonello agreed, of course. Maksim nodded too, hesitating a bit before admitting, "My group disbanded and right now I don't have anywhere to go to... so I kinda have to stay here!"

Marzio let out a harsh sigh, "I just finished perfecting my room, it would be a shame..."

Renato smirked, "So captain, what do you think?"

"If everyone wants to stay here then we'll stay here." Shen Qingqiu responds easily before catching onto Renato who was reaching under his bed and...grabbing a box? That must have been put in there when they messed with his clothes then, why did Xiu Ya not say anything about it? How come he didn't notice it at all?

"You said that if we want to stay here then we can stay here right?" Renato's tone was very, very mischievous and with an undertone of something he did not recognize. "Vermont dear, why don't you come over and try these?"

Qingqiu stood up and slowly backed away, "What is the 'these' you're talking about?"

Sharmila had put a hand on his shoulder and was smiling far too sincerely. Then both hands were on his shoulders and he was being pushed back towards Renato who had taken out some articles of clothing, Shen Qingqiu's eyes contracted when he saw them and he kicked backwards, trying to get Sharmila off but Qingfeng had seen through before he could do it and directly seized his feet. Now he was being carried by these two people--which he could have shaken out of if he was desperate enough--and they directly pinned him down onto his bed. Shen Qingqiu's cheeks and eyes were burning at that point. Qingfeng hushed him and squeezed the thighs in his hold, "What are the safe words, do you remember?"

The Fog nodded, trembling, but stuttered out a 'strawberry for continue' and 'orange for stop'.

"Good boy," Sharmila cooed, "If its too much for you, you know what you can do right?"

"En," he answered her, watching the approaching Renato with teary eyes. The Sun's eyes darkened, if that was possible, and he leaned down to kiss Shen's eyes.

(The question was, how does one not get aroused by seeing one of your lovers turn to you with such an arousing expression while being held down by another two of your lovers? It was a valid question and one Renato would like answered because there was no answer. You just don't not get aroused by such a sight, it was impossible.

Vermont was already in tears with just a little manhandling, how would he be like f*cked senseless? Renato and the junior down below wanted to know.)

"'Nello, get over here," Qingqiu's hands were being given over to Colonello, Sharmila shifting both of them so she was kneeling in front of the sitting up him and unclasped the cloak, throwing it over to either Maksim or Marzio, but the oversized sweater was directly ripped off. Shen jolted and wanted to kick away from there but his feet and hands were still firmly held. Colonello leaned forward and rather awkwardly asked, "You still OK, right?...oh yeah, kora."

Shen Qingqiu nods slowly. 

The top was pulled over his head and Colonello still seemed awkward as he directed Shen Qingqiu's arms through. Sharmila cupped Shen's face in her hands and slowly kissed him, the reason why he realizes when his pants are pulled off. "The set comes with its own undergarments," she lets him break away and squeal as his underwear too, was pulled off and he clamped his legs together. "Since you don't have breasts, no need for the bra, but down there is another matter. Darling, you remember the safe word, right?"

"Ah--" what Qingqiu wanted to reply with was interrupted as his legs are pried apart and someone kisses and sucks on his inner thigh, close to where his privates were. The Fog sobs out, "N-o... stop..."

"Safe word?" Renato's voice comes from between his thighs. "S-stra--ahh!" Shen loses his voice and starts trembling as a tongue prods against that... that place... 

The hands on his knees tighten and Shen could see Qingfeng staring at him with a dark expression. Renato had also straightened up and was staring at him, a smug expression on his face. The Sun leans forward slightly and kisses him, more intensely than their first time. Shen Jiu squeaked as he felt Qingfeng kiss and suck on the other thigh, leaving a mark on it like Renato had. The hitman coos at the sight he had made of Shen Jiu and Shen could feel his blush darkening, "Someday, I'll make you taste yourself and let you see how sweet your ass is."

It was after that that they finally put on the panty... stocking... thing... what even was it?

Colonello and Sharmila seem to have had some kind of discussion while he wasn't hearing and switched places, Colonello directly pushing him back down onto the bed but hesitating slightly before kissing the other. It lasted for a short while as Shen Jiu's lower body was lifted up and a skirt is put on. It is after that that Shen Qingqiu finally gets a good look at what the had made him wear. A rather lacey red top and a short black skirt as well as mid-thigh high stockings that were strapped to the... undergarment. He huffs and pushes the skirt down so it does not show anything... unwanted, still blushing. "You're all unbelievable!"

"And you're unbelievably sexy, has anyone told you that?" Renato, the main offender, retorts and tugs at his hands, wanting to see the whole sight. 

"Why do you guys always do this to me anyway?" Shen Jiu huffs again and reluctantly let the Sun take his hands away.

Qingfeng smiled, "Because you're very charming?" He tries, shifting and pulling Shen into his lap. Sharmila tuts and pinches one of his cheeks. "Because no matter you are paired with, we can only ever imagine you as the bottom."

...bottom?

Renato snickers meanly and Shen Qingqiu scowls at him. "In other words, no matter who you're with in this relationship, you will only ever be f*cked."

"That does not answer my question!!" 

"Too bad."

\--+=+0+=+--

"Cooperate with me in this and I won't turn all the words and numbers on your papers white." Marzio freezes at that. Of course, one of the things he values the most were the results of his research and threatening to dye his hair or turn his skin odd colors won't work. He would instead study the composition of the concoction used to dye it. Shen Qingqiu was going to try and maneuver a scheme on Renato to get revenge and nothing was going to stop him. Nothing. 

In fact, this revenge prank was quite simple and it was easy for Shen to do it himself but he also needed a scapegoat to push the blame onto just in case. That was why it couldn't be the Maksim who wouldn't dare do anything, Qingfeng who would accept it too easily or Sharmila--which also means Colonello--who seems to be getting along very well with Renato.

Marzio had actually been rather distant in this relationship, still preferring to stay in his room and research some odd things. 

The Lightning scoffs, getting up and taking the fan from Shen Jiu while mumbling. "I said anything is fine unless you disrupt my research right?"

Ah, right, he did say that. Qingqiu finds himself being manhandled again to sit on the bed and shrugs the hands off. Marzio mock pouted but let go, "I wasn't going to disrupt your research." Shen tries. It was true, in a way, he was just going to make it harder for Marzio to read words that were previously written or printed...OK maybe that was a little disruptive.

"And if I do help you on whatever it is?" 

Now that required some thought, but Qingqiu had already thought about it earlier. "If you cooperate with me then I'll tell you the trick to how I floa--"

"DEAL." Marzio almost yells before Shen could finish the sentence or take it back. The manic gleam in the Lightning's eyes should have put him off but Shen Jiu was used to it by now, or else he would have left a long time ago. This response was highly expected, but Marzio's following actions were not. He lunged at Shen Jiu and they both fell onto the bed. "Marzio, what are you doing?"

The man instead raised his hands ominously before abruptly sending them back down and--

Shen Jiu burst out laughing. He twisted and squirmed, swatting the hands off again and again but the Lighting was insistent on tickling him, aiming for the waist and under his armpits. "Sto-h-p! Ah, Mar--stop it!!"

"This is for threatening to disrupt my research!" Marzio smiled pitilessly. He grabbed one of the two feet that were kicking him and softly ran a finger up and down the soft underside. Shen Jiu squealed and sprang up, sending both of them falling onto the floor. Marzio made a pained whine and grabbed his head, immediately alerting Shen Jiu that he may have used too much strength. "Are you alright?"

Just as he was taking Marzio's head to see if there was a bump, the other grabbed his hands and rolled over, switching their positions. 

"Got you."

Both Shen's hands were now held down by one of Marzio's and the other smiled ominously as the other hand snaked inside of Qingqiu's sweater and--tickled--

(Marzio felt rather accomplished as he stared at the sight he had made of Vermont. Teary-eyed and still smiling a little foolishly with his long hair now splayed out and heaving for breath on his floor. Ha, take that the rest of you!)

"So what did you need me to do again?"

\--+=+0+=+--

Renato enters the dining room with a scowl, stray feathers and fluff on him. 

"Whose idea was it to fill my room with feathers?" Shen Jiu ignores the Sun and takes a big piece of bread pudding, leisurely eating the dessert before anyone else had even touched any of the food without any shame. Just as he was finishing the pudding he had taken, someone loomed behind him threateningly. He looked at the last spoon of dessert, then at the too-nicely smiling hitman and offers it up with a knowing (read: mocking) look. Renato's smile twitched and he asked sweetly, "Are you dissatisfied with how I treat you, darling? Don't worry, I won't get angry."

Shen Qingqiu thinks about it for a small while before replying easily, "Yeah, you force me to do things a lot."

The Sun's expression twitches again. They both knew that if Shen had really taken offense then he would have used the safe word/code or have plunged them all into terrifying nightmares or something similar.

He plays along nonetheless. "Ho? My disregard for consent is what you're dissatisfied with? That's not what you were saying in bed last night."

"...we weren't in the same room last night, much less the sa--"

"I know, but can't you not tell the truth so bluntly?!" 

"Why shouldn't I?" Shen asks with a raised brow, not that Renato could see it under the hood. He stuffs the all but forgotten spoon of dessert back in his mouth and see that the others have already started eating, ignoring their bantering. "You're still covered in feathers by the way."

"Something that is your fault, sweetie."

"That's not what you were calling me in bed last night." Renato's expression twitches again and he sighs. "I'm not getting a confession out of you here, am I?"

What exactly did this "here" of his mean? Shen Qingqiu suddenly felt worried.

As if reading his mind, Renato pats Qingqiu's head and says, "Don't worry."

Xiu Ya wraps around his arm tighter, hissing angrily down their mental link. "Stop. Flirting. With others. Right in front of me! I feel like dying from the embarrassment, oh my goodness. I'm not even that bad with Xuan Su! ...am I? Am I setting a bad example so much that you choose to use this way to tell me or something?!"

"It's not like that..." Shen Qingqiu awkwardly replied, "I just go along with it?"

"You even added a question mark!!" Xiu Ya decided not to let it go and Shen continuously bantered with it throughout the whole dinner, still looking and responding the same as ever to the others. Xiu Ya just kept on ranting and ranting that by the end of the day, Shen Jiu had forgotten about Renato's words and directly went to sleep--that night was Monday and was therefore a sleep night, the rest of the week were meditating nights--after letting Xiu Ya leave out the window to run off somewhere. Probably hungry again.

He could have just not go to sleep at all but with all the sh*t his... lovers... put him through everyday, sleeping at least once a week was now a requirement put forth by Xiu Ya. In fact, it wanted him to sleep every other day.

Which was a big, fat no. 

The next morning, Shen Qingqiu stares at the main room with dead eyes. How, why and who the f*ck put a giant colorful mattress in the middle of the main room? It even had pillows and blankets piled on top all in the colors of the rainbow, minus orange, meaning that it was definitely not Luce. Looking at it, Qingqiu suddenly had and followed the impulse to float above it and--fall onto the soft bed. He reached out and hugged the green pillow, curling up and burying his face into it. Ahh, it felt as nice as it looked...

No, wait, what was he doing? The best time to practice the Spirit Eye technique his Shizun had passed down to him was during the rising and setting sun! 

Reluctantly, Shen Jiu got up and went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea, taking it and a cup to the roof. Qingfeng is there again, he's been joining in on these sun-gazing activities ever since he found out that Shen Jiu does them. It is rather quiet, Shen Qingqiu staring unrelentingly at the sun and inwardly streaming his spiritual energy in an almost whimsical pattern. Qingfeng takes the cup and drinks from it too, "Your tea leaf blends are as good as ever."

"Get to the point."

"Who put the giant bed in the main room and why?" Qingfeng asks, doing as Shen Jiu tells him to without a second thought. Jiu pauses too, "I don't know."

...was there a sleeping medicine in their foods or something? He had been really drowsy yesterday, even though he would have done at least some exercises usually.

"Did you also feel drowsy yesterday?" Shen Jiu asks. The Storm nods and the hypothesis he came too should probably be true then. It was simply Will, whoever had put the giant bed inside the main room without his notice must have used his Will to make the already sleepy him sleepier. More like coaxing rather than forcing, the reason why he hadn't noticed it yesterday. "It should be the Will of the person who put the bed in there."

It wasn't like it was that dangerous, though. Shen Jiu had scanned it over with his Flames and spiritual energy several times and it was what it looked like. A big, colorful bed. No illusions or residues of Night Flames, from where he would have deduced that it was Bermuda's doing, or any odd energies.

It was just a big bed.

So who was ridiculous enough to do such a thing? Sharmila was a no-nonsense type person, meaning that this would be a little too much for her, so she, meaning Colonello too, are out. Marzio was directly out. Maksim would probably have done this but he couldn't and wouldn't have done it alone so if he was involved then it meant that there was more than one person in on this. Qingfeng had just proved that he didn't know, leaving Renato and Maksim as the suspects. 

...it should have been obvious now that he thought about it.

The sun was finally in full sight and Shen Qingqiu let out a breath, watching the faintly dark gas disperse. He stood up, Qingfeng following him and grabbing onto his sleeve.

The Storm showed him a harmless smile. "I suddenly can't get down, help me?"

Shen Qingqiu sighed but grabbed Qingfeng on the waist, putting the pot and cup onto a floating tray and levitating the both of them back onto the ground. Qingfeng then takes the pot and cup and goes to the kitchen to put them in the sink, looking and acting very dutiful. The bed still stuck out like a sore thumb with the color scheme it has in the rather solemn residence they lived in. Sharmila had also gotten up and was looking at the bright, colorful mattress with dead eyes. She then looked up at him and asked, "It was Renato, wasn't it?"

The two voices of reason sighed simultaneously and this was when Luce came out with a bright, unbothered smile. "Ah, so its finally here."

She could see the future. Unfair.

"Since, it's already here, then might as well use it right?" Saying that, Sharmila picked Shen Jiu up and lay on the bed, cuddling the Fog... was he a doll or something? Why does Sharmila like picking him up so much? "Why do you like picking me up so much, anyways?"

"Because you're small and cute." She replies, pulling his hood down and playing with his hair. The Rain sits up and pulls him up too, turning him around. He could feel her taking his hairband off and taking some parts to braid. She had asked him to make a comb and several other smaller hairbands. Compared to the past life's complicated hairstyles, this one was definitely far more simple but still looked rather nice. "Do you want to do my hair?"

Sure, why not?

It was hard with the rather short hair Sharmila had, but the bun that his Qi Qingqi favored the most was done, a little messy and too small, but done.

Whistling suddenly sounded out. Shen Jiu swept the vicinity with his Fog Flames and Sun Flames decided to entangle with them, not letting go. He shivered and retrieved them back, stuffing them in as much as possible. That was a very weird sensation and Sharmila must have sensed his discomfort because she turned back around and hugged him. "Renato, why in the nine hells did you put this thing here?"

"You like it though." Renato answers simply, also getting up. "I thought that if we all wanted to cuddle, there is no bed big enough here so I put it here."

Sharmila snorts. "That's the only reason?"

"Of course not." Shen Jiu rolls his eyes at them and takes the green pillow to hug. It was his favorite color, nothing to do with Marzio. Sharmila pats his head with a fond smile, something he wasn't all that used to. Qingfeng comes out from whatever he was doing in the kitchen--oh wait, wasn't today he and Marzio's turn to cook breakfast?--and picks Shen Jiu up, pillow and all, and plopping him down onto his lap. 

So, in their eyes, he was a doll after all?

Qingfeng leans down and whispers a question, "Why is Sharmila's hair styled like Qi Qingqi's?"

"Because they're two of the three women I'm most fond of," even though Qi Qingqi didn't necessarily like him and probably loathed him, she was his favorite martial sibling. Some part because he favored women and some part because she was not like all the other women when in the beast's vicinity. Even Yingying... 

Someone jumping onto the bed snapped him out of his thoughts. Maksim laughed as he bounced on it and landed on the pillow pile. "And who is this Qi Qingqi you're talking about?" Sharmila smiled pitilessly as she took the green pillow away and loomed over Shen Jiu and Qingfeng. Qingqiu barely blinked before answering, "Qi Qingqi was my favorite sibling."

"And here I thought you were an only child," Marzio pops out of nowhere and sits down. 

Qingfeng gave him a closed-eye smile. "It's a little complicated."

"Sister huh? Nothing else?" Sharmila seemed almost disappointed for some unfathomable reason. Shen Jiu favored women more than men, that did not mean that he understood them. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Maksim finally landed and stayed on land right between Shen Jiu and Sharmila. He froze at the stares directed at him and awkwardly laughed, getting up and about to leave when Renato grabs his collar and drags him over. "Get over here, I want to hear what you have to say about jumping everywhere and just how dangerous it apparently isn't."

It is at that point that Colonello runs in the room, sweaty and probably having jogged several rounds or something. 

"Colonello! Get off of me right now!"

"No, kora!"

Shen Jiu just takes the green pillow again and hugs it, curling up and closing his eyes. They were still tired from staring at the sun for about an hour. Qingfeng pats his head and lets him rest, acting his part as a big heater for him to cuddle. Marzio crawls over to where the two of them are and has a stare-down with Qingfeng before the Storm lays him down on the bed and hugs him from behind. The Lightning pulls away the pillow and replaces it with himself. 

"You aren't as soft..." Shen Jiu whines but hugs the Lightning anyways. 

...they've really worn him down. Where was the Shen Qingqiu who hated physical contact with anyone now?

"Don't fuss," Qingfeng seems to want to call him, probably Xiao Jiu or Qingqiu-shidi but... Shen Qingqiu sighs, "Shut up already, Qi-ge."

He can physically feel Qing--Yue Qingyuan perk up and nuzzle him. Marzio's pondering look was rather intense this time, probably going through every single theory and conclusion, picking them apart and putting them together again and again to get to the truth. Qingqiu wonders, why was he the one who has to take care of everything. "Stop thinking so much, Marzio."

Today was a sad mood day for him, not really knowing why. Probably a nightmare he couldn't remember. Which one was it this time though? He couldn't remember or muster up enough will to remember. It would hurt. 

It always does.

Why--was he in between--people--

...he had limbs again. Shen could simply get up and leave before eating a sweet or two to get rid of the phantom metal taste in his mouth. They felt like lead though, especially heavy lead and numb. He couldn't move--!

The metal taste was stronger now. 

Ah, actual blood--

"Qingqiu!" Yue Qingyuan, what was he doing here? Qi-ge was... ah wait, that's right. Arcobaleno, he was at the Il Prescelti Sette's residence. He was saying things now, qi deviations, rain and fire? What did that have to do with anything? A sudden surge of Rain Flames enveloped him from two people, he swept the vicinity with spiritual energy, finding no one with notable cultivation, just high energy levels. Not that much of a threat, he was almost at Nascent Soul...

"Vermont?" Marzio seems worried, what happened? Was that--there was blood on his clothes. "What happened, are you alright?"

Slowly he nodded. 

"Now what happened there?" Qingfeng asks, looking very ruffled. Qingqiu stares blankly before realizing and responding. "I... don't want to say it."

The guilt in Yue Qingyuan's expression irritated him. The more he looked the more he is reminded of the nightmare that was his past life and wanted nothing to do with it, if only he could forget it and only remember his current life, wouldn't that be nice? There were people who loved him in this life. But... Bermuda would have never come into his life. Xiu Ya would have been unable to get close to him. The whole situation with the Il Prescelti Sette may have never happened. 

Marzio's expression turns dark. "Your Flames go insane and you vomit blood but you're not going to say why?"

"That's not going to pass around here," at some point, Renato had appeared behind him. The hitman smiles at him, but it is cold for once and he continues, "It's not like we're going to blame you for panicking, why did you panic?"

"Get away from me." He complies after setting this condition. "Get away from me first."

The two of them back up without another word and he breaths in, "It's stupid, alright? I just--fell asleep and--" another breath, in, out, calm down, a voice suspiciously like Xiu Ya's remind him. "...woke up feeling other m--people..."

It was fine if he was conscious or even half-conscious and knew the people but...

"You were about to say men." Sharmila hissed and a burst of panic seized his heart before quickly fading away. It wasn't like it wasn't true, most if not all the people who hurt him with the intention of hurting him were men. Qiu Haitang thought she was simply taking revenge for the family that he had killed and burned, Ning Yingying was in love with the beast... oh yeah, there was Liu Mingyan but she also thought she was taking revenge for her brother. His Shizun and mother had left the world before ever hurting him intentionally. "Who and where can I find this man that did this?"

"You won't find him," because it was true. The beast was not in this world or else everyone would have known about him. They seem to have taken it as he had died or been killed.

The people he was talking to right now were all human.

Only human. 

"...so this was why you didn't like people touching you?... kora," Colonello tried, looking rather awkward. "I mean, you know... kora."

Shen Qingqiu sighed and threw himself back, Renato catching him and pulling him onto his lap. Another weird thing, was it that nice to put him on top of their laps or something, why do Qingfeng, Sharmila and Renato do it all the time? Marzio also has tried only to give up because he said it was tiring and would affect his stability during experimenting or something similar. Maksim and Colonello haven't tried, if they do then he would ask.

Renato asks again after a moment, "Are you sure we won't be able to find him?" at which point Shen Jiu feels like biting him in frustration. "Unless he comes to this world by some weird magic, no."

That reminds him. Luce was going to leave and take care of her Famiglia for a while, meaning a while without being sent on missions. What were they going to do? Laze around and do nothing? No... they were all probably going to go do their own things. Shen Jiu himself wanted to go visit his home town if only for a bit.

"Now I feel almost guilty about wanting to start an orgy..."

"You wanted to WHAT?!" The others all shouted. Shen Qingqiu blinked and his mouth asked faster than his mind calculated. "What's an orgy?"

Orgy... where has he heard that term before? Sometime during his Water Prison days, Shang Qinghua had said something about the beast and "marathons" and "sex" being associated as well as the term "orgy". Wu Yanzi had also said it once or twice, something about participating in them or whatever. He never did learn what it meant before killing the man and his Shizun on Qing Jing would have somehow wrestled the person who taught him the word from death itself and torture him to death again, and while that would have been a nice fate for Wu Yanzi, his Shizun did not need to dirty herself with those things.

Renato blinks at him innocently. "It means that I want to f*ck you and everyone senseless."

...

Registering what that meant, Shen Jiu immediately kicks the Sun away and hides behind Sharmila along with Colonello and Maksim. The Rain's expression twitches, "You wanted to bring that innocence into the middle of an orgy?"

"In actual fact, yes and the more those three hide the more I want to mess them up." The three hiding immediately shivered and stuck closer together. Sharmila rolled her eyes but Renato added another statement and they felt like running is the best bet by now. "You can't tell me you don't feel the same."

Sharmila clears her throat. "That was supposed to be a secret."

"Not anymore," and Renato didn't look at all apologetic, instead leaning back and watching the three that were about to break into a run anytime now with a dark smile. Marzio had at some point put up a barrier though and Shen Jiu was seriously contemplating on where he could run that the people here won't be able to find him for a short while. The Vindicare? No, that would give the Marzio who had tagged everyone with trackers a heart attack or two...

Colonello seemed conflicted with agreeing with Sharmila and not getting into what he was getting into but ultimately finally made his own decision to say no. 

"Qingfeng?" The Storm says nothing, smiling like usual. It isn't until his name is called a second time that he snaps out of it and looks at Shen Qingqiu with an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, alright? I also want to see how you would look in that state..." In short, he also agreed with Renato.

Promptly, Shen Jiu snatched Colonello and Maksim and opened a portal under them, falling into the Vindicare's main office.

(They all watched the three fall into wherever it was that the Mist chose and burst out laughing. They had been joking to get the atmosphere to lighten up and would absolutely not try to do it after Vermont had revealed... that. Renato still wants to find whoever it was that gave him that trauma and shoot him and Qingfeng likely knew, but now was not the time.

He wasn't joking about the orgy part though.)

What Shen Qingqiu forgot was that, Colonello and Maksim seem to have a crippling fear of anything that comes out of a horror movie and he himself was already used to the Vindice's presence. 

The two of them scream at the sight of Bermuda, Jaeger, Big Pino and Small Gia. "GHOSTS--"

Ah wait. That's right, these two were the most uninvolved with the mafia and knew about the Vindice but not about how they looked or felt like. The four Vindice suddenly emitted an aura of uneasiness and Big Pino and Small Gia immediately left the room, leaving Jaeger, Bermuda and the three of them. Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes and knocked the Rain and Cloud over the head. "The two of you, meet your... in-laws."

"Vermont what--" Bermuda suddenly asked through the mental link, but is cut off. "Play along, please," he even added a 'please' to show how sincere he was. The mummified baby sighed in exasperation but complied.

"Our WHAT?!" Maksim all but screams in Shen's ear. It was grating. Colonello seems to have gone into shock because he kept muttering 'ghosts' and 'in-laws' while staring at nothing. Qingqiu was slightly worried, did he break these two? Was there a guide out there on how to fix people? "You just said that... that they're our in-laws??"

Bermuda floats over and lands on Shen Qingqiu's head. "Yes I am. Do you have any problems with that?"

That 'problem' of his was a little too threatening, but a convincing performance so far... Maksim points at the mummified baby, then at Shen Qingqiu, then at Bermuda again with a gaping mouth. Colonello pushes the hand Maksim was using to point and forces a very weird smile. "Problems? What problems, kora! We have none ahaha, its very nice to meet you uh..."

"Bermuda von Veckenschtein." Bermuda looms over Colonello from where he stood on Shen Jiu's head. "Yes, uh, sir Veck-en...schtein sir, kora!"

Why was he so nervous? Its not like Bermuda will strangle him to death or anything similar.

The Bermuda who is currently using his stare to convey certain death to this future son-in-law who was probably going to take away his dau--student's chastity: ...

"Why did you come back here, by the way?"

"...I was embarrassed and panicked, so I chose to go here." What wasn't said was that that means he feels that the Vindicare was safest place for him. Bermuda then let a pleased aura out, letting Maksim and Colonello relax. They both wanted to cry tears of joy when the scary baby turned its attention towards Shen Jiu, only to turn around and realize that there was a bigger, more terrifying "in-law" staring at them with certain death in his eyes.

Maksim reached out and tugged on Shen Jiu's cloak. "Vermont, we should go back. We haven't had breakfast..."

"Ah, of course. We don't serve human food here." Jaeger says easily, pretending not to notice how much it frightens the two that Shen Qingqiu brought with him. 

Shen Jiu sighs, somewhat reluctant. Then, he spots the instrument laying behind the desk and asks, "I'll take my qin with me. And one of the spare fans."

The fan that his father had bought him was safely kept with him, but he was unwilling to use it anymore lest he risk damaging it.

A portal opened up under Colonello and Maksim and they fell in a pile of limbs back onto the giant bed. Shen Qingqiu does not mind their screams and collects the qin and a fan, before nodding at Bermuda and opening a portal back to his room at the Arcobaleno's residence. 

("LAL I'M SORRY I'LL NEVER DISAGREE WITH YOU AGAIN--" Colonello barreled into Sharmila and wailed. She startles at the sudden weight and asks loudly, "What's this all about?!"

Maksim quietly answers her. "We met our in-laws."

"So?"

"...they were terrifying!!" Maksim also started to wail and buried himself into Marzio's side. "Don't leave me again!"

"Who was it that left who?! Get off of me, you're heavy!")

And so the scene Shen Jiu got to when he came out of his room was rather comical, ignoring it, he floated over to the dining room and hoped to not be caught by anyone... a hand grabbed the back of his hood and pulled it and continued pulling until he was dragged onto the bed with them. Renato looked at him with an innocent expression, "Where are you going? We're all going to spend the day lazing around. Let's get you used to waking up to people beside you."

"I was going to visit home." He replies honestly, Marzio scoffs at that. "Sentimental."

"Yes and I do not see the picture in your pocket."

Marzio flushes. "Shut up!"

\--+=+0+=+--

Incessantly knocking on the door, whoever was behind it better be prepared to face his wrath when his schedule shifts. Shen Jiu gave a harsh sigh and swung the door open, only for a green-yellow blur to take hold of him and start shaking him. "Vermont, I don't know whattodohELP--oof!"

Qingqiu had rolled Colonello off of him and closed the door before any of the other nosy idiots decided to be nosy and see what this was all about. He did not want another headache.

"What is it?" and why do they all go to him? Why not... Sharmila? She was the other voice of reason (most of the time) in their... relationship. Or, was it something that Colonello would feel bad talking to Sharmila about? Suddenly, he really didn't want to know. Maybe Xiu Ya was right and he should just add another sleep day every week, or he could just claim personal reasons and take a nice, long break. By himself. On the other side of the world. He had just gotten into a comfortable position than you very much. "And why when its almost midnight?"

"I... I think I'm in love, kora." Colonello says as if it was a very hard thing. He was now twiddling with his thumbs and looking very embarrassed. "...I am very sure that everyone is aware of that you love Sharmila."

"That's not it!" He shouts before quieting down again. "I mean... I know I love her, kora, I'm--I think I'm in love with you and everyone else too. I just. Uh, kora."

Was it that hard to accept? 

...on second thought, has Shen Jiu himself truly accepted this? Xiu Ya is constantly worried but refused to be anywhere near when they were all together to avoid the dog food. Bermuda does not know the extent of this, unless he had been stalking them, but Shen Qingqiu was very sure that he would have noticed that.

"You think?"

Colonello leaned forward and landed a kiss--nothing more than an innocent peck--then flailed, emitting an odd high-pitched noise. He curled up into a ball in the corner of Shen Qingqiu's room and continued doing so for a minute or so before finally calming down. Shen himself had decided to turn on the table light and start writing, just because he had an amazing memory did not mean he would forget what he had thought up. That meridian cleansing pill had... was it the Purple Moon Vine's flower or the Indigo Starburst's roots? No, Starburst is for the bone refining pill...

The Rain had at some point stopped doing whatever he was doing and looked at the characters he had written before visibly giving up at not seeing the latin alphabet. "Don't you find it hard to say it, kora?"

"Say what?" The replacement for that, lilacs should be fine right? Colonello was bright red again and stuttering. 

"Y-you know! Kora, the three words!" Was there a significant three word phrase? Il Prescelti Sette? It wasn't exactly hard to say, was it? What the loving hell is Colonello talking abou--would wisteria flowers be fine too? He needed to research the flora of this world more, or maybe Marzio would know. The guy had a phase where in place of being rebellious, he was absolutely obsessed with carnivorous plants didn't he? 

"I..." Shen Qingqiu zoomed out of the train of thought as Colonello takes his hand and says with utmost seriousness. "I love you."

...alright, they were already lovers, so?

When the Rain saw the Fog's expression, he cried out. "You don't get it!"

Shen Qingqiu really, truly didn't get it. Sometimes, he wished that everyone's thought processes were the same as the last world's--that is, only wanting power, money, fame or sex--because it would be so much more easy to read people. "What is so hard about saying 'I love you'?"

His parents--bless them, his father better be treating his mother nicely in the afterlife--in this world would take every. Single. Chance. To display their Mandarin Duck-like behavior and make everyone eat dog food.

They were also convinced that their child--who got into fights, had very questionable morals and was slightly on the mentally unhinged side--was the cutest child to have ever lived. Therefore the first few years of this life also included the desensitizing of affectionate behavior and saying "I love you". 

"Why don't you try it then?!"

Shen Jiu nodded and said, "I love you."

Colonello promptly made a sound akin to a dying animal. "That--that doesn't count! Say it to someone else too, I don't believe that it's not hard, kora!!"

"Fine then, who?"

And this was how Shen Qingqiu ended up in front of Maksim's room with Colonello around the corner. He knocks on the door, three times and waits. From inside the room, nothing is heard, considering that all rooms were soundproofed--why was that again?--but the door opens slowly after a short while to a disheveled Maksim who clearly was just asleep. "Wha... Vermont...?"

"I love you." he directly says and the Cloud replies with a, "love you too dude, now let me sleep..."

Shen Qingqiu nods at him and the door closes. 

(Maksim yawns again, it was just Vermont saying I love you... he was already on the bed again and about to sleep when the realizations hits him like a ton of bricks. "Wait, WHAT--")

"So?" Shen Qingqiu asks, already having forgotten why he was doing this. What was Colonello trying to prove by saying that "I love you" was a hard thing to say? Was it that hard? It may have been hard in his last life but in this life, his parents showed him very thoroughly that it was a very easy thing and that it should be continuously said to his loved ones... he may or may not have completely ignored that last part. No way. "That... that doesn't count either! Kora, he was half-asleep!"

...did that have anything to do with this? 

"En, alright, you're right, I'll go back to my room now." Quickly floating, his arm was grabbed by Colonello. "No!"

"What do you want??" 

"I don't know, kora!"

"Then let go of me!"

"No!"

A door swung open and Sharmila took one look at their situation before promptly closing her door again. The both of them fall silent for a moment before Shen Qingqiu takes the chance to book it back down the hallway--only to be grabbed again...

Renato looks at him, then at Colonello and asks with a smirk, "Do the two of you need to say anything?"

Colonello catches up and immediately asks with a wronged voice, as if he was the one who was taken from his comfortable position and had to run around saying "I love you" to people and Shen Jiu suddenly felt the need to add another sleep night every week in his schedule because apparently, as Xiu Ya says, working the stress away is a bad habit. He was going to have a headache and yes he was being very snappish, it was the schedule being messed up. "Please tell me that saying the three words is hard, kora!"

"Three words?" Renato raises a brow and asks. See, he wasn't the only one! "What three words? Shouldn't it be the five words?"

"Five words?" Shen Jiu and Colonello asks at the same time, wondering what this five word phrase could be. The world's seven strongest babies?? "You don't know? It's 'I want to f*ck you'."

...

This one was even worse! 

The grip around his arm tightened and Shen Qingqiu is suddenly being hugged. "Since you're already here, why not sleep here too? To get you used to waking up to other people, we should start immediately... oi, you too, don't think you can run!"

The Colonello who was slowly backing away froze for a split second before yelling a 'sorry!' and running off. The traitor. Renato clicks his teeth and without letting go of the Fog in his arms, returns to his room and locks the door. Shen Jiu was seriously contemplating just how much everyone liked to treat him like a doll and why before blaming his mother's genes that made him small. His mother was still the best though.

Renato simply does not let go, as if Shen Jiu was a doll, and cuddles him. Cuddles, the last time was just several hours earlier with Sharmila on the giant, colorful bed Renato had somehow put in their main room.

"Why does everyone go to me all the time?" Because he couldn't really figure out. Yunque was Qi-ge, understandable. Marzio knew him when they were children, understandable. Sharmila and he were only friendly acquaintances, not very understandable. Colonello was in love with Sharmila, Maksim was a civilian and Renato too... the Sun pauses and hums before answering, "That's because everyone, except Sharmila and Colonello, like you the most. Even then, you're number two probably."

"...why?" Perhaps his voice had revealed something because Renato frowned and brought him closer. Shen Jiu immediately put his hands up to push him away a bit. 

"Maksim sees you as the second most likely to stand up for him after Luce. Marzio and Yunque seem to have some history that I don't feel like prying into right now. Sharmila likes you because you helped her--don't deny it, she told me herself. Colonello... trusts her, so you're also his second choice." Renato leans in and kisses him, mumbling against his lips, "I admire you because you're younger and got your 'Number One' title before me."

It really didn't feel like admiration, the train of thought was slowly ended as Renato continues on kissing and going deeper every time. The Sun gets on top of him at some point and both his wrists are taken by one hand, the other on his right thigh, hiking it upwards and hooking his leg around Renato's waist. Qingqiu gasps as he is released from the kiss and Renato whispers, "The other leg too, do the same."

In a daze, he obediently does as told.

The Sun chuckles and slips a thumb into Shen Qingqiu's mouth, enjoying the confused look he gets in return. Shen makes a sound of alarm as he feels something poking at his rear and, "Of course, pushing down someone who could kill me at any time but is letting himself be taken advantage of also turns me on. A lot. Has anyone ever told you that the expression you're making right now is really lewd? I really want to deny you until you beg me."

Shen Jiu didn't understand half the words he was hearing, but flushed a bright red nonetheless. At these sorts of instances, he had no idea what to do and simply let the other lead. 

"Are you fine with sex right now?" He asks and Shen Qingqiu ponders upon it.

Why was he so against about it? Because Shen had sometimes caught glimpses of the sisters in the brothel during the aftermath. He was reluctant because it would be his first time, he didn't want to be caught in such a vulnerable state, because it would have caused a scandal whether in this life of the last.

But... they were lovers, it should be fine right? Besides that, what exactly did he have to lose?

Slowly, Shen Qingqiu said yes.

Renato seemed absolutely delighted as he reached over to the bedside table and flung the drawer open, taking a bottle of... something. "What is that?"

"Lubrication," for... the, ehem, penetrating part. Shen Jiu did know the bare basics of it, after all. 

Goodness this was embarrassing. He probably looked like a tomato right now, Shen Jiu hid his face in his hands, feeling his cheeks burn. Renato hums and rolls Shen Jiu onto his stomach, sliding a pillow under his hips. "For the first time, this position makes it easier. Are you fine with it?"

"...en." A hand, two slipped into his shirt and Shen Jiu was suddenly regretting using the biggest one he could find. His supposed schedule that night only had meditation on it and it had felt most like inner robes. The hands reached his chest and brushed against his nipples and suddenly the only word running though his mind was 'WHY'. Renato leans down, pressing him onto the bed and the thing poking against his rear is suddenly very clear. "Use words, darling."

A whimper escapes him and Shen Jiu squirms under the weight. Renato sucks on a spot on his neck and experience had told him that it would leave a mark, Qingqiu shuddered. "'s fine!"

Not asking anymore, the Sun pulls his shorts and undergarments down, then rolls him onto his back again. Shen Jiu squeaks and covers his face with his hands again, only to have them pulled away and held down. Renato kisses him and lets one of his hands go, reaching down and poking at... that...!

"Wha--" he vaguely notices the bottle Renato had taken earlier being opened and squeezed. He's kissed again and one of Renato's hands was on his... crudely saying, cock and slowly rubbing it. Shen Qingqiu couldn't help the rush of blood going south and getting hard. Amidst the kissing and... hand-job, he almost misses the wet finger slowly wriggling into his, crudely saying, ass. Immediately, the Fog tensed up and clamped his legs down on Renato's body. The Sun muttered a curse under his breath and told him, softly, "Relax, it will hurt if you tense up like that."

"It feels weird..." he whines back, slowly forcing himself to relax. "Don't worry, it'll feel good in just a bit."

Soon enough, another finger is added and Shen Jiu caught himself tensing up before relaxing again. The sound those fingers make inside him were obscene and he might as well have exploded from how red his face was. Renato who was above him chuckles, "How cute."

"Your hole is sucking my fingers in, it feels nice." Renato continues with the most innocent expression he could muster. Absolutely obscene, shameless, a very much conflicting picture with how his fingers were movi-- "Ah!"

"Ho? I found it," There is a teasing lilt to his voice and Shen Jiu shuts his mouth, wondering why he had let such a noise out. Renato then started insistently pressing at that spot that made him cry out and Shen Jiu squirmed, still gritting his teeth and not wanting to let out such an embarrassing sound again. He had tensed up again and was slowly making himself relax. Renato was saying horribly filthy words again, he wanted to kick the Sun but his legs felt like they had turned into jelly. 

Soon enough, another finger was added. "-how do you think Qingfeng would do you? Would he be gentle, or would he push you down and force you to take it?" A shallow thrust, the hand on his cock squeezing slightly and Shen Jiu swallows another moan. "Stop that, I want to hear you."

That spot inside him was continuously being pressed. 

Shen Qingqiu could feel himself tearing up, how mortifying. He whimpers as a fourth finger is added, stretching him more than he ever thought was possible. A kiss, "Let me hear you."

Renato continues kissing, but goes down and towards his right nipple, playing with it. "A-ah?!"

Why nipples though? Shen Jiu couldn't understand at all, but the sensation made him arch his back, a hand pulling Renato's hair to get away from it. The Sun didn't budge, but his Flames chose this moment to start intertwining with his Fog Flames and Shen could almost feel the heavy arousal and affection his actions left in their wake. He felt like--he was drowning in the sea and Renato's touch was the only thing anchoring him suddenly. 

A sob leaves Qingqiu and he reaches up to grip onto Renato. The fingers inside him are taken out though, and suddenly he is on his stomach again and the Sun is a weight on his back and something is poking him--

"Calm down," Renato mutters and Shen Qingqiu notices himself trembling like a leaf. "I didn't know you were this unaccustomed to your Flames being mingled with... another thing to get used to, don't worry, I'll take good care of you." 

The Sun gets off of him for a moment, the sound of clothes rustling coming from him. Slowly, the thing--Renato's cock--is pushed in. Just a bit, Shen spasmed, trembling again and unable to relax. 

He was actually doing this.

"What's wrong? Calm down, tell me." Immediately Renato stops and kisses his shoulder. The Fog shook his head, "I ca--I can't," a gasp, "it's too much..."

The Sun frowns and slowly takes it out, rolling him onto his back again and gently wiping the tears away. "Are you scared?" he asked softly to which Shen Jiu hesitated but nodded, realizing that he really was a--selfish coward who can't even go through with what he says-- "Hey, it's fine. Shh, stop crying you'll make my heart hurt. I won't do anything you don't want, do you trust me? Sweetheart, say something."

Worthless, really worthless, he couldn't even go through with what he had agreed to. Sex was just that, sex. So why... The Fog was being hugged again, Renato still whispering to placate him. Worthless, useless, lowborn, filthy--had to be comforted by someone else--can't even get over it by himself--"You're safe here, I have you, the World's Number One Hitman is holding you right now. World's Number One Martial Artist is just down the hall and so is the World's Number One Military Instructor... well, ex-military. It's fine, come on, don't cry, Qingfeng will kill me if he finds out I made you cry. Marzio too, do you want the others here? They won't judge or care about being waken up at this time for you."

"So-rry..." Shen Jiu sniffed and looked away. A hand softly redirect his face back and up to Renato's who leans down and kisses his eyelids, "There's nothing to be sorry for. I should be the one saying that for pushing you."

"...I agreed..." 

"It's fine, it's not like the world will end because we don't do it now. You have all the time in the world to be ready... but please don't take that long I won't be able to stand it." He was still as shameless as ever, but it unexpectedly made Shen Jiu smile. Renato smiled back. "One step at a time."

One step at a time. This was fine. 

He could do it, probably.

(And in the morning, as Shen wakes up and feels someone else hugging him, he thinks that it might not be so bad after all.)

\--+=+0+=+--

The Vindice known as Qionglin looked at the burning mansion and could almost smell the burning flesh from all the dead bodies inside, then he looked at Shen Jiu with a gaze that seemed to convey the simple phrase, "what the actual f*ck?" Marzio and Maksim were behind him and gawking at the Vindice that had showed up. Except, they were both thinking very different things, one thinking about why his "in-law" was here and the other thinking of "how to help get Viper out of arrest". 

"H-hi! Nice to meet you uh... relative-in-law(?)!" Maksim yells first. Marzio chokes on nothing suddenly.

Shen Qingqiu stares back at Qionglin. The Vindice's eye twitches and he motions towards the burning building and screaming crowd around it. "You do realize I have to punish you for this right?"

"Yeah." He says flippantly, watching in amusement as the man sighs in exasperation. A hand is held out and the Vindice flicks his forehead lightly, Marzio and Maksim now freaking out over something in the background. It wasn't like he had been hiding anything, why were they so surprised? In the flattest tone possible, Qionglin announces, "Appropriate punishment has been served, you are free to go now."

And so the kidnapping of Cherep and Verde became the main topic of that night's dinner. 

"What do you mean you were kidnapped?" Renato asks, voice cold. Marzio seemed like he was going to pull his hair off, "That is not the important part! The important part comes when apparently our in-laws are the Vindice!!"

Qingfeng starts choking on something, hacking and coughing to get whatever it was out. Shen Qingqiu considerately gets out of his seat and stops eating the dessert for a moment, helping him get the chunk of whatever it was that he had choked on backout his mouth. Sharmila drops a glass, her face conveying her very rarely seen incredulous expression and she turns to look at Colonello who had proceeded to spray the table and his food with water. He whips his head around to look at Marzio so fast Shen Jiu was almost worried, "THOSE GUYS WERE VINDICE?!"

"Wait a moment! I've been trying to get into the pants of the Vindice's baby all this time?!" 

"That's what you're worried about?!" 

"What I wonder about is how they managed to produce someone like Vermont..." Maksim mumbles and Shen Jiu sends him a look, very much recognizing the rest of the chocolate pudding that had made its way to his plate. At his words though, they all look at him and start nodding. Marzio coughs into his sleeve. "How does it work? They are... dead, after all."

Oh goodness. He was in a relationship with six idiots. Someone save him. "They aren't my parents, they're the only... living... in-laws all of you have."

Wait a second. 

Since when were they married?! When--why did he accept it like it was normal too? Oh right, the first one to introduce them as in-laws had been him... but that wasn't the point!! "When did we even get married? Its not like they will definitely be your in-laws..."

"So you don't want to marry us?" Renato asks back and Shen Jiu doesn't exactly have a response to that. "It's not like that, I just..." never thought that there would be someone who wanted to spend their lifetime with him, much less more than one.

Qingfeng smiles at him knowingly and pulls on his cloak. He gets up, picks Shen Jiu up like a doll and sits back down with him on his lap. The Storm has been getting more and more touchy lately, Shen wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing but went with it most of the time. It was probably because he caught Renato and Qingqiu going out of the Sun's room after that night or something similar. The two of them had some weird things they think about, Shen Qingqiu didn't want to know about it.

Luce giggles at the sight and Shen Jiu inexplicably flushes. He flicks his fan open and focuses on the Xiu Ya who was messing around in his hair and getting tangled again, the snake saying it was apparently very fun.

It was purely to annoy him. He knew this.

Marzio suddenly says. "Is polygamy legal? How do we get the marriage certificate? Does anyone know about the law better?"

Shen Qingqiu's mouth twitched when they all turned to him who is the jack, or rather, king-of-all-trades and seem to be expecting him to answer or something. No. No way was he going to answer this, how had they gone from talking about Marzio and Maksim being kidnapped to getting married legally? Besides that, they were all mafia, why would they ever need the legal part... and why was he thinking of actually getting married?! Didn't he tell Bermuda just a while before that it was uncertain if this relationship would ever last!!

The truth was, it was legal in some countries and they could technically get one after getting a citizenship in one of those countries... why was he thinking of this? 

"Weren't we discussing the matter of those two being kidnapped just a few minutes ago, kora? How did it get to getting legally married??...kora," Colonello who still had to add "kora" to the ends of his sentences asks and apparently there was someone else with common sense around here. Qingfeng was still smiling stupidly and his grip is deceptively light on his arm and around Shen Jiu's waist. 

Luce directly walked out of the dining room, not without shooting him a smile full of schadenfreude. 

...wait one f*cking moment... Luce is clairvoyant, meaning that she can see the future, meaning that she knew what was going to happen including whether or not they all actually get married or not... 

So in the end, what were her intentions? 

On second thought, did Shen Jiu really want to know about what that madwoman's thoughts were? They could explode his brain or something. He was perfectly fine with not knowing the future.

That reminds him, what to do with the plan...

Bermuda for some reason did not mind the fact that he was openly planning to not let everyone get cursed. He would have to discuss everything with him someday lest Qingqiu spoils whatever plan Bermuda himself was making, it would do good to not be on the Vindice's bad side after all... also that he may or may not have grown to be fond of them after this lifetime but who was going to care about that?

A spoon is brought up to his lips and Shen Qingqiu automatically opens his mouth and bites down, only to realize what he had done the following moment and turn to glare at Qingfeng. 

The arm around his waist just holds onto him a little tighter when he glowers at the bright smile the Storm has on.

Suddenly, he realized an odd feeling. Shen Qingqiu looked up and decided f*ck it, he put his face in his hands and groaned. Why, oh why was there a very obvious portal on the roof and was probably acting as some sort of surveillance? Bermuda, why? At his actions, everyone pauses and looks up too, catching the very obvious black portal against the pale roofing.

"...kora, are we not going to talk about that?" 

"I'm going to my room." Shen Jiu directly excused himself and left the room. Nope. Not dealing with that.

Tonight was a "Pill Recreating" night to find out whether the pills made in his past life could be created here despite the lack of suitable ingredients and only using substitutes. He paused, right, he needed to get some lavender and perennials to see which one worked better...

\--+=+0+=+--

"If you played more, I'm sure that no one would feel bothered." Xiu Ya casually states as it curls up beside Shen Jiu, watching him play the qin and seeming very relaxed. What the sword-turned-snake said would probably be doubted if he did this outside of the soundproofed walls of his room, even though everyone praised his musical skills as top notch, most of it was flattery and boot-licking so he had started to dislike playing in front an audience. Xiu Ya was very much tolerated because Shen Qingqiu could tell that it was telling the truth when it said it enjoyed listening...

Calming is played and Shen Jiu feels the restless energy in him finally settle. He sighs, playing Purifying and several other songs before putting the qin away. Xiu Ya goes under his bed where it had demanded several heat packs to coil around and be put. "Even if the others can hear, I won't play any more than necessary." 

"Why not?" Xiu Ya asks even though it knew very well the answer. 

For one, it was embarrassing. They would use it as some kind of teasing fuel and absolutely refuse to stop commenting about it for a while like last time when they realized that Maksim was used to using leather jumpsuits as day to day clothing. Two, it was unnecessary as they would only see the music as entertainment and not like he sees it as a type of cultivation and practice... well, Qingfeng wouldn't see it as entertainment but you get the idea. 

Three, if they really did find the "magical" properties of the songs he usually play--which is nearly every song he could remember from his Qing Jing's archives--Marzio would start trying to research it and that man was obsessive. 

It was about midnight. Shen Jiu left his room and locked the door, cloaking himself in an illusion after clasping on his cloak and going out the backdoor and into the training field. The weapon storage was now familiar as he floated through it and directly went to the close combat weapon section. 

The swords took a while to familiarize to but they were swords.

Not spirit swords like Xiu Ya, just normal swords without any consciousness and therefore was easily mastered. Though, if Qingqiu continues using the same one over and over again, they might gain a basic consciousness because of prolonged contact to his spiritual energy. That was not a problem as there were more than enough to switch between and would definitely last him for longer than two years. 

There were two people coming in, Storm Flames with no cultivation and Rain Flames with no cultivation. He lets down the illusion and the Rain Flames rush forward to greet him, to which he immediately stuffed his Flames down in response. 

Shen had finally found the sword scheduled to use this night when someone hugged him from behind and covered his eyes.

"And what's a little riding hood like you doing here in the middle of the night, huh?" Considering that the voice was feminine despite the low tone and that there was something soft pressing against his back, it was probably Sharmila. She playfully sticks a tongue out and licks his earlobe and Shen Jiu nearly shrieks from the sudden action, instead feeling himself freeze. The Rain laughs and straightens, but doesn't let go of Shen, so now he's hanging from her arm around his waist and the sword is being pried away from his hand by a smiling Qingfeng. "Were you waiting for the big bad wolf to find and take you away? You've got two of them right here."

...was she referring to that one story "Little Red Riding Hood"? Why? 

"Please put me down, I need to start on practice." He states instead of replying. Shen Qingqiu didn't exactly understand how any of this could be equated to a cautionary fairytale, but it was probably a rather bad thing if it followed the trend.

Sharmila deadpans and instead tightens her grip. "Its the middle of the night. You should be sleeping."

"And what are the two of you doing here?" 

"We were just patrolling the area when we found the weapon storage's door open." Qingfeng lies, patrols were a non-existent thing in this place. They were all the best of the best... or not, but they would still be able to at least sense if there were people who had come over. 

Qingqiu's eyes twitched and he redirected the conversation, "What did you mean by riding hood and wolves? What does a cautionary fairytale have to do with this?"

Silence answers him and for a moment, he is stared at with the weirdest gazes ever. 

"...it is tacitly agreed on that that fairytale as you put it is also to warn little girls from perverts." Sharmila tells him and--her Rain Flames suddenly surge and encase his--not letting go--

Shen Jiu slumps in her hold, trembling and holding onto her for dear life. It was like that night with Renato, drowning in the middle of an ocean but this time, Sharmila's touch is the thing anchoring him and keeping him afloat--the feeling was too much, what was she doing?! Qingqiu yelps as he is suddenly shifted and carried in a princess carry, Storm Flames now joining--oh god it was too much.

"Rain...!"

"Yes, my... Mist?" She hesitates on the Mist, knowing that it was not exactly what his Fog Flames were. He doesn't reply, incoherently murmuring and burying himself into her as much as he could. 

"Did you forget about me?" Storm intones lowly, grabbing him and pushing Fog onto something soft--the bed Sun had put in the main room and was by now soaked in everyone's Flames, except that Sky, when did they get there?--and there is a satisfied sound that Storm makes as Fog curls up and breathes heavily, feeling the bonds settle in place.

Rain suddenly pulls him towards her and Fog felt lips on his own, pushing and pushing until he couldn't breathe--she lets go and Fog gasps, not having the time to think before she kisses him again, using some of her Flames to slow down his heartbeat just a bit. Enough that it no longer feels like it was about to burst out of his chest at any time and Fog leans against Rain before Storm turns him around and kisses him too, his Storm Flames heavy against his Fog Flames and slowly taming them. Petting them down and coaxing, Fog moans into the kiss as a hand gropes at his behind, thoughts utterly incoherent. 

There is something of a relieve as the bonds click into place and suddenly Fog is being flooded by emotions not his. Rain and Storm were now kissing, the sight looking... nice. 

Qingqiu breathes a sigh, feeling exhausted. He grabs a pillow and hugs it, knowing it's Maksim's from the sheer amount of Cloud Flames he had sent into the cotton inside to make it softer and fluffier. Damnit, his schedule was messed up again, they needed to stop finding him during the night... "Really, what were the two of you doing there at this time?"

Sharmila huffs and replies while Qingfeng takes the pillow and puts it under Shen's head instead, there is a heavy affection and fondness coming from one of them... or both? He couldn't tell it apart yet, the two of them were too close to him and each other. "We had agreed to try making bonds but saw that the weapon storage's doors were open. Wondering just which one of the idiots are looking at weapons in the middle of the night, I dragged this guy there to see. Didn't expect it to be you though, is practicing the sword really that important?"

"I have many things to practice." He says in lieu of an answer and it was actually true. His fan, illusions, sword techniques, pill making, qin... there were a lot of things and he didn't need as much sleep as a normal human did. 

He also needed to get started on testing his current limits.

Qingfeng took a place in front of him and Sharmila took a place behind him and if an outsider saw this they would probably think that he was being fought over by these two. Qingqiu rolls his eyes at the thought and asks, "Making bonds in the middle of the night? Nothing else?"

The Rain chokes on something and Shen Jiu looks at her in worry. She gapes at him and asks, "Who the hell has been teaching you to say stuff like that?"

"Haven't I always talked like this??" Qingfeng has an indulgent if strained smile on. Sharmila turns to him instead and tells him very seriously, as if it was an official mission and not just Shen Jiu asking if they were going to do something. "Someone has corrupted our little cinnamon roll. This means war."

"What corrupted?!" He explodes at them, "wasn't I just asking if you were going to go bat or owl hunting?"

Slowly, the two of them blink at him. 

Then, at once, they ask, "Bat or owl hunting?" and it sounded very incredulous. Was it that weird? He needed a substitute for the Wise Night Prowler's eye for the bone refining pill and the Sound Hunter's claws for... what was it, the iron skin pill? 

..."Of course, we could also go foraging." He needed to find a substitute for the Double-Stemmed Moonflower and the Three-Petalled Bouquet...

"We thought that you were talking about sex." Qingfeng blurts out, decisively unclasping his cloak and tossing it onto the other side of the bed. It was Shen Jiu's turn to stare at Qingfeng incredulously. Did he really look like the type to bring up sex all the time? That was Renato's job.

"In any case," Sharmila interrupts before he can respond to that very offensive statement. "You can practice whatever in the morning, go to sleep."

"I'm not tired..." Shen Jiu says, ignoring the urge to yawn. 

Qingfeng frowns at him, "Lie." and sends a bit of exasperation down their bond. Shen Jiu jolts at the reminder and is pressed down onto the bed, a blanket or two being pulled on top of the three of them and another beat of silence goes before Sharmila says sternly, "Sleep."

...did they already forget what happened last time he woke up in between people? No? Then why...

It can't be that they trusted him that much, right? When has he ever proved himself trustworthy? This much trust was overwhelming and he had no idea how to deal with it. No one has ever taught him how to deal with people actually trusting him--"Xiao Jiu," Qingfeng--Qi-ge--murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Don't think of yourself like that."

Sharmila sighs and takes off his hairband, running a hand through his locks and generally trying to calm him down. The liberal use of Rain Flames was not helping either, Qingqiu could feel himself simply melt into her touch.

**Author's Note:**

> This extra is a parallel world. I repeat, a parallel world!
> 
> This is actually my first time writing polyamory please don't hate me... as for why Reborn initiates it, who else do you think would? And, also, he was said to be the leader of the Arco... other than that I have no other reason... 
> 
> Also, I also don't have any idea why Colonello also ended up becoming a bottom so don't ask. It just came out.
> 
> The first reason Renato gave may or may not be true, up to you ^^
> 
> ...this thing just got longer and longer...I'm not sorry!! Has anyone else ever felt more excited for an extra than the actual story? Is it just me? I don't know if I should write another part or not.
> 
> If you can't tell, I actually ship Reborn/Mammon a lot.
> 
> And I had to actually research the legality of polygamy... and learned some very interesting things. Also this is getting very, very long I should probably post it sometime soon but I want to at least get to the point where they get cursed/escape being cursed... please note that I am writing these notes as I write the chapter. 
> 
> ... I want to write both because it is very tempting but... I'll get it all jumbled up in my head and stuff. In any case, SJ!Viper knows his way around curses ;)
> 
> The chapter is at 400060 characters left... yeah posting it now!
> 
> So please tell me if you want another chapter :) even though I'll probably write it anyways. Not promising them to be this long though. By the way, what is the tag for Poly!Arco? I need inspiration rn.


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